Georgetown Accelerated BSN Fall 2010

poppysmom · Apr 27, 2010

Hi all! Thanks for all your information - I'm thinking of applying to the Fall 2011 program, and I've found everything you've shared extremely helpful. I have a quick question about the WHC scholarship - I am considering applying to the Direct Entry to Advanced Practice Nursing Program, and see that the scholarship is available with this option as well. However, are you required to fulfill your 3-yr commitment immediately following the completion of your BSN, thus requiring that the MS portion be completed part-time, or can you complete the entire BSN/MS full-time, and then work for WHC? I'm guessing you need to start directly following your completion of the BSN, otherwise they would end up with a lot of specialized nurses (i.e. nurse-midwives) who are seeking jobs specifically in their specialty. Do you know anyone going the BSN/MS route with the scholarship, and have they started working and completing MS coursework? How is the workload like? Does WHC offer assistance to employees seeking masters level education? Thanks so much! :)

Gentle Giant · Apr 27, 2010

Poppsymom, I haven't entered the program yet, but I do know that you are required to work full-time (36hrs/wk) for the 3-year contract. So, you would be taking the MSN program part-time. According to a group of students that we talked to on our tour of WHC, most recent grads plan to work for a while before continuing on with the MSN. They also mentioned that very few (like 1 or 2) of the people in their cohort were direct entry.

tlm424 · May 2, 2010

Thanks for your insights, TLM. May I ask what your study schedule looks like in a typical week, like how many hours per day you usually study during the week and on weekends? Thanks

Hi Gentle Giant.. In a typical week, I go to school 4 days, including my clinical so I have Fri-Sun off which is great. As far as studying goes, I am one of those last minute people, so I just study right before a test... I do not continually study all throughout the semester. I also hardly read at all... Lectures are always given on power point so I just study those. As a result, I have periods of really stressful times where all I am doing is studying for 3-4 days, take the test.. and then I'm done till the next time. Gtown does make it sound like you will have zero free time and thats not true. You do have free time, but not enough for a job. Luckily I have met some great people, so I utilize my free time by enjoying being social and seeing new parts of DC. I make a point to have fun when I can because there are moments when school is just not fun at all.. so you have to keep a balance.

Pathophysiology for me is the hardest. The professor is awesome, but he lectures at the speed of lightning. Luckily he records his lecture and you can listen to them at your own time and pace, but its the most amount of material I have EVER had to study. Its incredibly useful for your education... but it is the most stressful and takes up most of my study time. The cool thing is that patho and clinical are the most challenging - clinical is FUN though! - but its challenging, you have a lot to learn. So your other classes aren't as difficult. Your first semester, try and take an easy and enjoyable elective if you can - some people got stuck in really difficult elective classes, and the fact is all your focus is on nursing... so if you can have a fun, easier elective class, you will be good to go. With that said... for me, working is not an option.. I would have done much worse this semester if I had attempted to work... so I have time for work and little play, which you need for the semester. :) Overall I love it! We just finished the two hardest weeks of the semester - it wasn't easy, but its doable.. you just have to do it.

tlm424 · May 2, 2010

Hi all! Thanks for all your information - I'm thinking of applying to the Fall 2011 program, and I've found everything you've shared extremely helpful. I have a quick question about the WHC scholarship - I am considering applying to the Direct Entry to Advanced Practice Nursing Program, and see that the scholarship is available with this option as well. However, are you required to fulfill your 3-yr commitment immediately following the completion of your BSN, thus requiring that the MS portion be completed part-time, or can you complete the entire BSN/MS full-time, and then work for WHC? I'm guessing you need to start directly following your completion of the BSN, otherwise they would end up with a lot of specialized nurses (i.e. nurse-midwives) who are seeking jobs specifically in their specialty. Do you know anyone going the BSN/MS route with the scholarship, and have they started working and completing MS coursework? How is the workload like? Does WHC offer assistance to employees seeking masters level education? Thanks so much! :)

Hi Poppys mom - you have to do the MSN portion part time.

WHC will pay their employees 10k per year if they seek an MSN. I am definitely taking advantage of this!!!!

Its a great teaching hospital.

I may be wrong, but I think they make direct entry students wait 1 year after completing the BSN portion before beginning the MSN portion....

kryan916 · May 2, 2010

Hi TLM, thanks for all of your info so far! I am starting the program in September...do you have any advice on easier elective classes? I would definitely rather focus all my energy on my nursing classes. I do have to take nutrition, health care delivery systems, and research methods....any advice on which ones to take?

tlm424 · May 2, 2010

Hi TLM, thanks for all of your info so far! I am starting the program in September...do you have any advice on easier elective classes? I would definitely rather focus all my energy on my nursing classes. I do have to take nutrition, health care delivery systems, and research methods....any advice on which ones to take?

For easier elective classes, check out the name of the professor and go to ratemyprofessor.com - thats the most useful tool i have found for avoiding really difficult classes. I have not heard anyone say that nutrition has been difficult. For research the rumor is that prof. gilson is incredible! I know there are two professors teaching it next semester and i dont know anything about the other one. Also the current Health care delivery systems prof is not a fave for many, but I personally like her. She makes it a hard class, and its only two units so that is a tad frustrating, but you do learn a lot - with that said she isn't teaching it next semester so I don't know anything about the new prof. Its not really hard, but you do have to take it seriously - and the amount of reading she expects is laughable! Impossible for anyone to achieve unless you are hellbent on driving yourself crazy. She gives a study outline, which i followed for the exam and I did well on it. But you don't have to take her if you sign up for it next semester since she isn't teaching it.

If you have to take theology... be careful about what you pick. This is where a lot of people got stuck in really difficult classes. Nutrition, HCDS and research all apply to nursing so those will be fine.

Gentle Giant · May 8, 2010

Hi, Has anyone who is a WHC scholar received the loan and work contract in the mail yet? I'm wandering if we'll have time to review it before deposits are due? Thanks

natalie627 · May 9, 2010

Gentle Giant -

I was wondering the same thing! I haven't received anything yet through the mail...just the initial acceptance email which has a "FAQ" sheet attached to it. Do you know if it can be post-marked or if it needs to be received by the 15th? I'm planning on calling tomorrow. Also - are you definitely going to Georgetown? Just wondering - I'm 99% going but I'm still trying to decide between a few others schools. It's just a little scary to commit to 3 years at WHC after graduation!

Gentle Giant · May 9, 2010

The deposit can be postmarked by the 15th. Let us know what they say when you call. It would be really nice to read the "fine print" before sending off the 900 bucks. I, too, was offered admission at another school, but I am 95% sure I'm going to Gtown b/c of the scholarship. The way I look at it is that they are practically guaranteeing a job after graduation (a plus in this market, but maybe things will change by the time we graduate?), and if things don't work out before three years is up, there is a way out (altho an expensive one). However, deciding between schools has been one of the hardest decisions I've made in a long time!!!

natalie627 · May 11, 2010

Okay - So I called today and spoke with Patrick (one of Laura's co-workers because she will be out of the office for a few weeks). He said the deposit could be postmarked by the 15th as well. I also asked him about when we would be receiving the WHC contract and he said he wasn't sure. He stated that they were frustrated with the hospital because the contract and school deadlines were supposed to coincide. He said that I could reach out directly to WHC (the contact info from the acceptance email - I think her name is Suzy?) and they were going to try their best to email us a copy of the contract this week. The most important part of the convo to share is that he said we would be allowed to extend our deposit deadline if we wanted to review the WHC contract before accepting. He said that we MUST let him know if we decide to do so. I kind of just want to get it over with and submit the deposit but at the same time I really want to look over the contract - three years is a long time!

I'm definitely in the same situation as you. It's been really hard to decide but the scholarship and guaranteed job is too good to pass up. I was accepted into NYU's accelerated program but the scholarship/fin. aid offer is nowhere near as good as the WHC scholarship. I liked their program and love NYC but I guess it's a short train/bus ride away right?

Gentle Giant · May 11, 2010

Thanks for the info. Natalie!!

I'll likely call Patrick for an extension if the contract doesn't come this week.

Yeah, NYC is a short bus trip away--makes for a good trip on long weekends, and there are several cheap bus operators.

Good luck on your final decision!

CAL05699 · May 11, 2010

Hi Natalie!
I am extremely happy to be at Georgetown! Yes, you start clinicals about three weeks after school starts and we just finished up our first semester. WHC was awesome, I really enjoyed it there and all the clinical instructors from WHC are wonderful to learn from.
I moved from the west coast and i did not bring my car. I live about a mile from school and I walk everyday - being close to school is definitely the way to go - otherwise you have to rely on the metro and the bus because Georgetown is not on the metro line.. Being close to school will make your life SO much better.
Also, getting to clinicals on public transportation isnt bad, but if you live near campus, there is usually almost always a carpool you can rely on. Plus you only have one clinical day at WHC a week and you are on campus the other 3 or 4 if you have friday classes. So getting to school easily 3-4 days a week is much less stressful than trying to get to whc one day a week.
Things to remember: Your experience depends on your attitude, Georgetown has a 100% nclex pass rate (so they know what they are doing), You have the scholarship so your tuition is reasonable and you can pay it back, the program IS stressful and fast paced but none of us want to be in school forever so you have to suck it up and just get it done... Don't let the negative people bring you down, b/c there will be negative ppl talking crap about the program, but the problem lies with them... not Georgetown. That is my personal opinion... I was so excited about this opportunity and its everything i wanted it to be.. I'm stressed like crazy b/c its almost finals, but its worth it.

Hi everyone, I am a recent grad of the 2D program. TLM is correct that during the first semester, there is only one clinical day. However, all the other semesters have two clinical days. Also, for WHC people, your peds, mental health, mother-baby and community clinicals will not be at WHC, so you are going to have to make your way to wherever your clinical happens to be. The locations are a little far-flung.

In short, living close to campus makes it easier for getting to campus, but harder to get to clinicals sites. But because you don't know where your clinical sites are going to be, you really can't plan ahead anyway. I would just say live where you are comfortable and where you can afford it.

As to the schedule, it definitely gets worse every semester. The first is the easiest. Studying for finals isn't bad, but you have so many papers and projects (especially at the end) that you have something due almost every day. You most certainly will be prepared to be a nurse!